The field of the invention is baked goods dispensed from telescoping receptacles having bag closures and the present invention is particularly concerned with telescoping sliced bread dispensers.
Although the present invention is useful in dispensing onions, round fruit such as grapefruit, grains, square envelopes of powdered drinks and bakery products, the specific embodiments are limited to the dispensing of sliced bread protected by a cellophane, vinyl or other plastic wrapper.
Sliced bread and many other grocery products now are sold in the United States in clear plastic wrappers such as vinyl with one end secured by a wire or other wrap-around closure. The vinyl wrapper gives no support to the sliced bread and as the individual slices are removed from the package, the slices move about and are subject to being crushed and otherwise damaged.
The state of the art of sliced bread packages may be ascertained by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,816,399 and 3,146,111 of Rohwedder and Enoch, respectively. Rohwedder shows a telescoping concept, but there is no bottom to form a tray and there is no fastener or twister. Enoch shows a U-shaped reinforcing band. Neither of the references discloses the concept of a telescoping receptacle for dispensing sliced bread from a plastic wrapper having a fastener or twister for the end of the wrapper as a component of the receptacle.